Bill proposes fee increase for electric, hybrid cars

Feb. 22, 2018

HONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved a bill to boost the registration fees in Hawaii for electric and hybrid vehicles.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports the bill would impose an extra annual registration fee of $70 for electric vehicles and $35 for hybrids to try to equalize the tax burden between conventional vehicles and the more fuel-efficient hybrids and electric cars.

Owners of electric vehicles currently pay weight taxes and a registration fee of $45 per vehicle per year, but do not pay the gasoline tax.

Senate Transportation Committee Chairwoman Lorraine Inouye says since the gas tax is one of the primary sources of funding for maintaining the state network of roadways, "we need to have them pay their fair share."

Inouye says there are about 7,000 electric vehicles and 25,000 hybrids on Hawaii highways.

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This story has been corrected to show it was a state, not U.S. Senate committee approving the bill.